Best of AOP - Diffuse Nebulae

IC 410

IC410 is the gaseous nebula surrounding the bright, hot star cluster of NGC 1893. The radiation from these hot stars pushes the gas away from them and creates the darker hole like features just above the star cluster. The "tadpoles" (seen just below center) are regions of denser, cooler gas. These pockets of more dense gas slowly resist the erosive radiation from the hot stars. The high radiation slowly eats away at these pockets and the matter streams away from the stars, creating the tails seen in the image. The tails have grown to 10 light years in length.

IC 410 lies approximately 12,000 light years away in the constellation of Auriga.